Two direction quick adjusting bar clamp

ABSTRACT

A bar clamp for quickly adjusting two bars arranged in different planes and in two different directions employing a single control device, operative for simultaneously tightening and simultaneously releasing the two bars to and from the clamp in any position of adjustment of the bars relative to each other in said two directions.

United States Patent Short [451 July 18,1972

TWO DIRECTION QUICK ADJUSTING BAR CLAMP Henry 0. Short, Lynchburg, Va.

Simplimatic Engineering Co., Lynchburg, Va.

Filed: March 24, 1971 Appl. No.: 127,567

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl. ..287/49, 287/54 B Int. Cl ..F16b 7/04 Field oISearch ..28'7/54A, 54 B, 54.1,49,5l,

287/54 C; 248/124, 287; 24/81 CR References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 9/1965 France ..287/5l France ..287/54 B 496,969 12/ 1938Great Britain ..287/54 8 279,031 2/1952 Switzerland ..287/49 534,865l/l955 Belgium ..287/54 B Primary Eraminer-Andrew V. KundratAttorney-James and Franklin [57] ABSTRACT A bar clamp for quicklyadjusting two bars arranged in different planes and in two, differentdirections employing a single control device, operative forsimultaneously tightening and simultaneously releasing the two bars toand from the clamp in any position of adjustment of the bars relative toeach other in said two directions.

2 Clains, 3 Drawing, Figures Patented Jul 18, 1972 I 3,677,584

F/GZ

INVENTOR HE/YR) 0. $4097 B r iaqa ATTORNEY TWO DIRECTION QUICK ADJUSTINGBAR CLAMP This invention relates to a quick adjusting bar clamp and moreparticularly to a two-direction quick adjusting block type bar clamp.

Clamps for slidably adjusting bars or rods relatively to a support havebeen the subject of a variety of structural forms. Such clamps of theprior art typically include structures in which the adjustment of a baris effected by a control device such as a screw member acting on the rodslidably movable in a holder such as a block, or in which a pluralitysuch as two bars, arranged at angles to each other, are slidably movableand adjusted in a clamping device, or in which a single control devicesuch as a screw member is employed for clamping a plurality of partstogether.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a bar clampdevised for receiving two bars in different planes and arranged indifferent directions effective for relatively and simultaneouslyadjusting the bars in any position of the two bars in said differentdirections by means of a single control device.

To the accomplishment of the said object and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the two-directionquick adjusting bar clamp as defined in the appended claims takentogether with the following specification and the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the two-direction quick adjusting bar clampof the present invention in mounted combination with the two bars forwhich the clamp is designed.

FIG. 2 is a view of the bar clamp taken in cross-section in the plane ofthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of the bar clamp taken in cross-section in the plane ofthe line 3-3 of FIG. 2, also showing one of the bars attached to a guideback-up support,

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the bar clamp of theinvention comprises a bar holder generally designated as which may be inthe fonn of a rectangular block having the top and bottom walls 12 andI4 and the side walls 16 and 18 bored to receive two bars arranged indifferent planes and in two different directions, the top wall 12 beingbored at 20 for receiving the bar 22 and the side wall 18 being bored at24 for receiving the bar 26. The bars 22 and 26 are freely movable inthe bores 20 and 24; and as clearly shown in the drawings the block 10is bored to receive the bars in two different planes and arranged in twodifferent directions. In the exemplified structure depicted in thedrawings the bars are disposed at right angles in relation to eachother.

In the clamp structure of the invention, the clamp holder is devised foreffecting the simultaneous tightening and the simultaneous releasing ofthe bars to and from the clamp holder in any position of the adjustmentof the bars relative to each other in the holder in either and both ofthe said two directions. This is accomplished by the provision of twoalined members 28 and 30 mounted within the holder or block 10 freelymovable in contact with the top, bottom and side walls of the holder,the member 28 being formed, for example, concavely, at 32 to engage anddisengage the bar 26 to tighten and release the same in the holder, andthe member 30 being formed, also for example, concavely, at 34 forengaging and disengaging the bar 22 to tighten and release the same inthe holder 10.

For effecting the simultaneous tightening and releasing of the bars 22and 26 by the members 281 and 30, the member 30 is internally threadedat 35 and the member 28 is formed with a clearance opening 36; and asingle control device is employed operatively connecting the members 28and 30 for moving these members relatively toward and from each other,said single control device comprising a rod 38 freely passing throughthe member 28 and threaded at its end at 40 for threaded engagement withthe member 30, an end knob 42 fixed to said rod 38 by the pin 44 beingarranged to releasably engage the member 28 in the rotation of the knob.

By means of this described bar clamp structure it will be seen that bythe simple actuation of the control knob 42, simultaneous tightening orsimultaneous releasing both bars 22 and 26 may be effected to adjustablymove these bars relatively to each other in their two mounted directionsto any position of either or both bars.

To further illustrate the operation of the bar clamp, the bar 22 isshown attached at one of its ends to a guide back-up support 46 (seeFIG. 3).

The bar 26 may be a vertical post and the bar 22 may be a pusher bar,the clamp structure thereby providing a clamping control which, with onetwist of the control device 42, the guide back-up support and the pusherbar 22 can be repositioned up or down and in and out with reference tothe vertical post 26. y

The structure, use and operation of the bar clamp of the invention, andthe advantages of the use thereof will be fully ap' parent from theabove detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent thatchanges may be made thereto within the description thereof withoutdeparting from its invention defined in the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. A two-direction quick adjusting bar clamp comprising a clamp holderblock bored to provide two bores to receive two bars arranged in twodifferent directions at right angles to each other, the bars being eachfreely movable along the holder block for effecting the relativeadjustment of the bars in said directions, two alined members movablymounted within another bore the holder block, one member being formed toengage and disengage one of the bars to tighten and release the same inthe holder and the other member being formed to engage and disengage theother of the bars to tighten and release the same in the holder, thesaid two alined members comprising a first member internally threadedand a second member having a clearance opening, and a single controldevice operatively connecting the said members for moving the membersrelatively toward and from each other for effecting the simultaneoustightening and the simultaneous releasing of the bars to and from theholder in any position of the adjustment of the bars relative to eachother in the said two directions, the single control device comprising arod freely passing through said second member and threadingly connectedto said first member and a manually operable element fixed to said rodand arranged thereon to releasably engage said second member.

2. The adjusting bar of claim 1 in which the clamp holder block has atop wall, a bottom wall and opposite side walls, and the two alinedmembers are freely movable in said another bore in contact therewithopposite the top, bottom and side walls of the holder block.

1. A two-direction quick adjusting bar clamp comprising a clamp holderblock bored to provide two bores to receive two bars arranged in twodifferent directions at right angles to each other, the bars being eachfreely movable along the holder block for effecting the relativeadjustment of the bars in said directions, two alined members movablymounted within another bore the holder block, one member being formed toengage and disengage one of the bars to tighten and release the same inthe holder and the other member being formed to engage and disengage theother of the bars to tighten and release the same in the holder, thesaid two alined members comprising a first member internally threadedand a second member having a clearance opening, and a single controldevice operatively connecting the said members for moving the membersrelatively toward and from each other for effecting the simultaneoustightening and the simultaneous releasing of the bars to and from theholder in any position of the adjustment of the bars relative to eachother in the said two directions, the single control device comprising arod freely passing through said second member and threadingly connectedto said first member and a manually operable element fixed to said rodand arranged thereon to releasably engage said second member.
 2. Theadjusting bar of claim 1 in which the clamp holder block has a top wall,a bottom wall and opposite side walls, and the two alined members arefreely movable in said another bore in contact therewith opposite thetop, bottom and side walls of the holder block.